Unleashing the Power of Youth Leadership and Entrepreneurship – Tsietsi Mashinini Tribute
A tribute by Dr Reuel J. Khoza I 14 June 2025
Introduction
Distinguished guests, esteemed colleagues, and the vibrant youth before us - greetings.
We convene today not merely to commemorate, but to reflect, rekindle, and reimagine the spirit of leadership embodied by Tsietsi Mashinini. His legacy is not confined to history books; it pulsates in the aspirations of every young South African who dares to dream, dares to lead, and dares to build.
The Power of Youth Leadership
Leadership is neither bestowed nor inherited—it is earned through conviction, courage, and an unrelenting pursuit of justice. Mashinini, like many before and after him, understood that leadership is not about titles, but about earnest responsibility and utter commitment to a compelling sense of destiny.
Achievement at all levels, from the most mundane to the truly stupendous, is a product of creative ignorance. Achievers are people who do not know what they don’t know. They do not understand that it is impossible to achieve the things they go on to achieve.
Moses did not know that he could not cross the Red Sea.
David did not know that he could not take on Goliath.
JF Kennedy did not know that man could not go to the moon.
Chris Chataway did not know he could not run a sub 4-minute mile.
The students of 1976 did not know they could not take on the might of the apartheid state.
Mohammed Ali did not know he could not beat Sonny Liston and go on to become the Greatest.
Mandela did not know he could not wear a casual shirt to a state dinner with the Queen of England.
Barack Obama did not know he could not be President of the mighty USA.
The youth of today must recognise that history does not wait for permission, it is shaped by those who step forward, who challenge the status quo, and who refuse to be passive spectators watching their own destiny inexorably unfold.
Entrepreneurship: Creating Opportunities
Beyond activism, leadership finds expression in enterprise, innovation, and economic emancipation. The entrepreneur is not merely a trader of goods but a visionary architect of prosperity.
Africa, rich in resources yet often constrained by systemic barriers, must look to its youth to ignite industries, disrupt stagnation, and craft solutions that serve not only profit but purpose.
The young entrepreneur must embody resilience, for the road is fraught with obstacles. But as the African proverb reminds us: Calm seas do not make skilful sailors.
Taking Initiative: Creating Jobs and Fighting Corruption
The youth must not wait for opportunities they must create them. Entrepreneurship is not just about personal success; it is about job creation, economic upliftment, and community transformation.
Initiatives such as the National Youth Service (NYS), recently launched to equip young people with skills and employment opportunities, demonstrate that structured programs can empower youth to take charge of their futures. Similarly, organisations like The Youth Café train young leaders to monitor government actions and advocate for transparency, ensuring that corruption does not rob future generations of their rightful opportunities.
Fighting corruption requires boldness and vigilance. Young people must demand accountability, engage in ethical business practices, and refuse to participate in systems that perpetuate dishonesty. Platforms such as the Youth Anti-Corruption Dialogue provide spaces for young leaders to strategise and take action against corruption.
Overcoming Challenges
The path to leadership and entrepreneurship is not paved with ease and comfort but with endurance and resilience. The world will tell you that you are too young, too inexperienced, too ambitious. But history is written by those who defy limitations and choose to soar way above mediocrity.
Mashinini did not wait for permission to lead. Steve Biko did not wait for approval to champion Black consciousness. Nelson Mandela did not wait for ideal conditions to act. And neither should you.
Mahatma Ghandi’s evergreen admonition commands attention up to this day and behoves us to heed: “The things that will destroy us are: politics without principles, pleasure without conscience, wealth without work, knowledge without character, business without morality, science without humanity, and worship without sacrifice”.
In paying homage to the remarkable legacy of Tsietsi Mashinini let us earnestly commit ourselves to:
- Politics with righteous principles
- Pleasure with clear conscience
- Wealth born of diligence
- Knowledge satiated with character
- Business replete with morality
- Science emersed in humanity
- Worship with requisite sacrifice
- Leadership with audacious integrity.
Call to Action
The question before us is not whether youth can lead, but whether they will.
Will you be passengers in history, or pilots of transformation? Will you lament the challenges, or leverage them as opportunities?
The future is not a matter of chance. It is a matter of purposeful choice. And it is shaped by those who dare to dream audaciously, act courageously, and lead ethically.
Let us rise, not merely in remembrance, but in resolve.
Thank you.